Container handling apparatus



April 23, 1942. T, M, ROYAL 2,281,516

CONTAINER HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1941 v :s Sheets-Sheet 1 CONTAINER HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1941'v ZZQZZZQSMEQHQZ I Ky 165%.?

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 28, 1942.

CONTAINER HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1941 :3 Sheets-Sheet 3 T. M. ROYAL. 2,281,516

Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNETED STATES PATENT @EFHQE @ONTAINER HANDLING APPARATUS Thomas M. Royal, Philadelphia, Pa. A pplication January 2, 1941, Serial No. 372,943

6 Claims. (Cl. 226-47) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in container handling apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for opening collapsed or flat flexible containers preparatory to filling the same.

Flexible containers of the type commonly referred to as bags are shipped to the packager in 1 a relatively collapsed or flat condition. and the packager must first-open these containers before they can be filled with the desired commodity or product. Opening of these containers is usually done manually and is often difficult and consumes considerable time thereby slowing down the entire packaging production. This difficulty encountered in opening the collapsed containers for filling has become more acute with the growth of use of flexible containers of Cellophane, "P1iofl1m and like materials, as well as containers lined therewith, due to the inherent characteristics of such materials, their tendency to stick lightly together and the difiiculty encountered in separating them without tearing.

Thus, with the foregoing observations in mind, the present invention has for its principal object the provision of a novel apparatus for quickly, positively and efiiciently opening collapsed flexible containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character set forth which will open collapsed flexible containers and which is operable further to support and maintain said containers in an open condition during the filling thereof.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus having the characteristics described which is entirely fool-proof and automatic in operation. A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the type described which is of relatively simple construction and economical as respects its cost of manufacture and use.

These and other objects of the invention as well as the various features thereof are hereinafter fully set forth and described and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of an apparatus embodying the present invention.

Figures 2, 3, 4 are diagrammatic views respectively illustrating certain features and phases of the operation of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; and 1 Figures 5, 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views respectively illustrating various relative positions of the suction plates during operation of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Referring generally to the drawings, the present invention consists essentially in providing a pair of opposed cooperable suction boxes or plates A arranged for movement toward and away from each other and having in their adjacent faces a plurality of holes or apertures a arranged so that when a collapsed bag or container B is placed between the plates A and the latter closed against the collapsed bag (see Figure 5), a suction force created within said plates A will operate to hold the bag walls against the adjacent faces of the plates A with the result that subsequent movement of said plates away from each other will operate to separate the walls of the bag and thereby open the latter for filling (see Figure 7) The invention contemplates, also, the provision of suitable apparatus for effecting controlled actuation or movement of the suction plates A and for controlling the application of a suction force thereto, and is herein illustrated and described in conjunction with one form of apparatus suitable for these purposes.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 1 of the drawings, in the particular form of the invention herein shown, reference numeral 5 designates generally a suitable frame or standard having on its upper surface suitable guides 2 in which are slidably mounted 'a' pair of shoes 3. Each of the shoes 3 has a recess 4 therein in which is pivotally connected the lower end of the suction plate or member A, as indicated at 5, and the portions 6 and I of the shoes 3 adjacent the pivots 5 constitute stops for limiting the forward and backward pivotal movement of its associated suction plate A. A pair of bottom suction plates A are pivotally connected to each other and to the plates A at the lower end of the latter, and the necessary suction force within the plates A and A. may be created by means of a suitable suction pump P whose inlet is connected to said plates by means of a pipe 8 and flexible or other'hose or tubing connections 9.

The plates A and their shoes 3 may be actuated toward and away from each other by means of cross-arms I'D pivotally connected asat H to the outer walls of said suction plates A and, as shown, the pivot H is offset a slight distance'laterally from the plate pivots 5 for a purpose that will presently appear. Carried by the arms l0 adjacent their outer ends are vertical rods I2 on the lower end of each of which is a cam roller l3 which engages and travels in a cam groove M of a cam l5, and these cams l5 are rotatably driven by shafts 16 in the direction indicated by the arrows (see Figure 2) by .periphery of a cam 24 provided subjacent one of the aforesaid cams l and rotatable therewith. A spring or the like 25 preferably is provided to maintain the roller 23 in contact with the periphery of cam 24 at all times.

Operation of the invention is illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. Of these, Figure 2 shows a bag held in its full opened position by means of the suction force created in the separated plates AA' and acting on the bag walls through the apertures (1-4 in the faces of said plates. In this relationship of the completed their traverse of the small. radius por tion of the cam grooves l4 as shown and this traverse is of sufficient time duration to permit the bag to be filled with a commodity, for example, coffee, from a suitable hopper or feed device H. Also, at this time the cani roller 23 is in contactawithithe small radius portion of its cam 24 with the result that the valve V is closed, thereby breaking the suction force created within apparatus, the cam rollers l3 have just about the cam rollers 13 enter the portion of-cam grooves l4 of minimum radius at which time said plates are disposed in their full separated position shown in Figure '7 of the drawings and held in vertical position resting on the stops 6.

Thus it will be seen that the present invention provides a novel arrangement for mechanically opening empty flat flexible containers and for supporting such containers in an opened condition while being filled with the desired commodity. The difliculty heretofore encountered in manually, opening containers of this type in the course of packaging processes is, therefore, eliminated and at the same time the opening operation is performed in substantially reduced time with the result that a substantially increased packaging production rate may be maintained.

It will be obvious that mechanisms other than that herein disclosed may be employed to actuate the plates AA as well as control of the suction force created therein, and while a particular embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it is not intended that the 7S8ld-inVenti0n be limited to said disclosure but the plates A-A' and permitting removal of the bag which has been filled during traverse of the cams l3 within the small radius portion of the cam grooves l4 as aforesaid.

1 Continued rotation of the cams l5 and 24 soon causes the rollers I3 to traverse the portions of the cam grooves l4 of increasing radius, thereby moving the plates AA' toward each other against an empty fiat bag which has been positioned between said plates subsequent to removal of the bag previously filled. At the same time the roller 23 rides up onto the large radius portion of cam 24 thus opening valve V so that a suction force is created by the pump P within the plates A-A'.

As the rollers l3 reach the portion of grooves M of maximum radius the plates A-A' clamp firmly against opposite walls of the bag therebetween (see Figure 3) and, upon further rotation of the cams I5 and 24, the rollers iii are caused to traverse a portion of the grooves I4 of decreasing radius in the course of which the plates AA' are moved apart with the result that the suction force created therein and acting through the apertures aa' firmly holds the bag walls against the plates so that the bag falls are pulled apart with the plates and the bag thus expanded or opened (see Figure 4). Traverse of the cam rollers l3 within cam grooves l4 continues until said rollers I3 enter the portion 'of grooves l4 of minimum diameter at which time the plates AA' and the bag are fully opened as shown in Figure 2 previously discussed.

In order to allow easy opening of the bag, the

plates A are intially separated at the open end or top of said bag in the manner shown in Figure 6. This. is accomplished by offsetting vertically the pivots H of the cross-arms I0 with respect to the pivotal connections 5 of plates A to the shoes 3, the shoes 3 being provided with stops 6 and I as aforesaid so that upon initial outward movement of cross-arms 10 operates to rock the plates A about their pivots 5 against the stops 1. The plates A are held against the stops I until that changes and modifications may be embodied and incorporated therein within the scope of the annexed claims.

I claim:

1 In apparatus for opening collapsed flexible containers, a first pair of 'movable cooperatively opposed suction plates, a second pair of suction plates pivotally connected together and each being pivotally connected respectively to one of said first pair of suction plates, means for actuating said suction plates toward and away from each otherbetween a closed position engaging opposite walls of an interposed collapsed container and an open position determined by the dimensions of said container when expanded, and means for creating a suction force at the container engaging surfaces of said plates so that when the plates are closed upon a collapsed container the walls of the latter will be held by the plates and carried by said plates during movement thereof tosaid spaced apart position thereby expanding the container. I

2. In apparatu for opening collapsed flexible containers, a first pair of movable cooperatively opposite walls of an interposed collapsed container and an open position determined by the dimensions of said container when expanded,

means for creating a suction force at the container engaging surfaces of said plates so that when the plates are closed upon a collapsed container the walls of the latter will be held by the plates and carried by said plates during movement thereof to said spaced apart position thereby expanding the container, and means controlling the establishment and interruption of said suction force in predetermined relation with respect to the movement of said plates.

3. In apparatus for opening collapsed flexible containers, a pair of movable supports, relatively opposed pairs of suction plates pivotally connected to each of said movable supports, the suction plates of each pair being pivotally connected together and said pairs of plates being pivotally connected together at their lower ends, means the same and their supports toward and away from each other between a closed position wherein said plates engage opposite walls of an interposed collapsed container and an open position determined by the dimensions of said container when expanded, and means for creating a suction force at the container engaging surfaces of said plates so that when the plates are closed upon a collapsed container the walls of the latter will be held by the plates and carried by said plates during movement thereof to said spaced apart position thereby expanding the container.

4. In apparatus for opening collapsed flexible containers, a pair of movable supports, relatively opposed pairs of suction plates pivotally connected to each of said movable supports, the suction plates of each pair being pivotally connected together and said pairs of plates being pivotally connected together at their lower ends, means connected to said pairs of plates for actuating the sameand their supports toward and away from each other between a closed position wherein said plates engage opposite walls of an inter-posed collapsed container and anopen position determined by the dimensions of said container when expanded, means for creating a suction force at the container engaging surfaces of said plates so that when the plates are closed upon a collapsed container the walls of the latter will be held by the plates and carried by said plates during movement thereof to said spaced apart position thereby expanding the container, and means controlling the establishment and interruption .of said suction force in predetermined relation with respect to the movement of said plates.

5. In apparatus for opening collapsed flexible containers, a pair of movable supports, a suction ports, actuating means connected to said suction plates for moving the same and their supports toward and away from each other between a closed position wherein the plates engage opposite walls of an interposed collapsed-container and a spaced apart position determined by the dimensions of said container when expanded, the connection of said actuating means to said plates being arranged with respect to the connection of w the plates to their movable supports so that said plates are initially separated at their upper ends upon movement from the closed position, and

-means for creating a suction forceat the container engaging surfaces of the plates so that when said plates are closed upon a collapsed container the walls of the latter will be held by the plates and carried during movement thereof to said spaced apart position therebyexpanding the container. v

6. In apparatus for opening collapsed flexible containers, a pair of movable supports, a first pair of suction plates pivotally connected respectively to each of said movable supports, a second pair of suction plates pivotally connected tocontainer and an open position determined by the dimensions of said container when expanded, the connection of said actuating means to said plates being outwardly ofiset with respect to the connection of the plates to their movable supports so that said first pair of plates is initially plate pivotally connected to each of said supseparated at the upper end thereof upon movement from the closed position, and means for creating a suction force at the container engaging surfaces of said plates so that when the plates are closed upon a collapsed container the walls of the latter will be held by the plates and carried by said plates duringmovement thereof to said open position thereby expanding, the container.

THOMAS ivr. ROYAL. 

